25 Apr 2013

The UK H2Mobility consortium, which is evaluating the potential for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) to contribute to the decarbonisation of road transport in the UK, has published its full first phase results. The first phase of the project looked at potential barriers to overcome and the potential investment required to make the UK a leading global FCEV market. The findings were set into a roadmap to commercialise FCEV in the UK from 2015. Phase 2, in which UK supermarket chain and fuel retailer Sainsbury’s joins the consortium, aims to develop a business case for realising this roadmap.

Key outcomes of the phase 1 results were released in a synopsis in February 2013, the highlights of which can be read in our coverage of its launch. The full report and its synopsis can be downloaded free of charge from the UK Government’s website.

Welcoming the publication of the full UK H2Mobility report on hydrogen vehicles, the UK Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said:

“Securing new economic opportunities for the UK, diversifying our national energy supply and driving down carbon emissions go to the heart of my job in government. The findings of the report demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles can have a real impact on all three.

“It is very positive that all the UK H2Mobility partners will be joining us in the next phase of the project where they will be joined by Sainsbury’s. Successful commercialisation of the technology will require government to work in strong partnership with industry.

“Prompt action is needed to ensure the potential benefits are realised by businesses and consumers in the UK and work on the next phase will start straight away”.

The report provides further details and background to the findings published on 4 February 2013. It predicts over one and a half million hydrogen powered vehicles could be on UK roads by 2030.

The UKH2Mobility project - which brings together leading businesses from the automotive, energy, infrastructure and retail sectors with government – produced the report to provide a ‘roadmap’ for the introduction of vehicles and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in the UK.

Sainsbury’s Head of Fuel, Richard Crampton said: “At Sainsbury’s we are always looking for solutions that reduce our impact on the environment and help our customers to live more sustainably. We currently have 280 filling stations serving customers throughout the UK and believe that exploring greener fuels today is fundamental to the long-term sustainability of our business.

“We look forward to working together with government and the UK H2Mobility partners and to sharing our expertise to help shape this future low carbon solution. The project is also closely aligned to our own stretching target of reducing our operational carbon emissions by 30 per cent absolute by 2020.”